Trolley Watch figures cause of concern for patients and staff
Reacting to the INMO trolley watch figures which show 610 patients on trolleys today, Labour Party Health spokesperson, Alan Kelly TD, has called on the Minister for Health to publish his winter plan for our health services.
Deputy Kelly said:
“It comes as no surprise to anyone who follows the trolley trends that we have 610 people on trolleys across the country today.
“It’s frustrating that on the first day of October we are already seeing winter-like conditions in our hospitals. We need Minister Harris to publish the winter initiative immediately to give reassurance to staff and patients.
“It’s not good enough that we are seeing over six hundred patients on trolleys today. This is causing so much stress for staff who are trying to work around so many frontline gaps in the staffing of out hospitals because of the HSE recruitment ban.
“We know that that there are over 100 unfilled nursing posts in University Hospital Limerick alone, the hospital with the highest trolley count today. Staff in UHL are over stretched, stressed beyond words because of the recruitment ban the government continues to deny exists.
“Yet again we are seeing stupidly high numbers in University Hospital Limerichhas been record numbers of people on trolleys in UHL – 81 people are on trolleys today. If this is how bad it is in October, what is it going to be like in December and January?
“We need to see Harris’ winter initiative ASAP, it’s the patients of Ireland who will ultimately suffer the longer the publication of this plan is delayed.”